The melancholy death of Selectadisc : Cennydd Bowles on user experience

Empty Selectadisc Last week, Nottingham’s legendary Selectadisc closed its doors for the last time.

For many residents, it was the epicentre of the city’s music scene, which continually punched above its weight. Bands formed from accidental meetings, gigs were posted, albums were bought on impulse, hipster haircuts were admired. For me, it was something of a spiritual home, where even the aloof staff couldn’t detract from the pleasures of rifling through the New Releases with a modest paycheque burning a hole in my pocket.

But these were the days before bandwidth, when even a dial-up shriek was still a rare luxury. The world doesn’t need record shops any more, and Selectadisc wasn’t in the happy position of receiving a government bail-out to cover its outdated business model.

Still, we can look back and pour a 40 on the kerb in honour of our fallen heroes. Farewell Selectadisc, and farewell to the idea of record shop as social object.

5 comments on The melancholy death of Selectadisc

Paul Annett on 6 April 09:

Does this go for the Berwick Street branch, as well? :-(

Cennydd Bowles on 6 April 09:

I don’t know, to be honest. Never went to it, but I was under the impression it changed hands years ago.

Francis on 9 April 09:

*sigh*. I lived above an independent record shop for about five years. I could rant for hours about the shoddy way that independents are treated by the major labels who, amongst other things, charge them more for a CD than many online retailers sell them for; the customers who thieve CD cases to house their downloaded, burnt CDs; the inability of the owners to grasp basic marketing and more. It was incredibly depressing to come home from work and see fewer and fewer customers in the shop and the staff increasingly depressed and anxious for the future. The shop closed down on the 20th January 2007. In part, the owners were the architects of their own demise but a recent tweet by Tom Coates is also pertinent.

YEAHLOLUKNOWWHOTHISIS on 4 May 09:

It’s re-opening apparently.

At least, so the window sign says.

James Murphy on 22 May 09:

Unbelievable… I honestly can’t believe that place shut down. It reminds me of when they closed Fopp in Manchester (fortunately it’s now re-opened), people were in uproar!

Select-a-disc was quite simply the best record shop in Nottingham by a clear mile – it will be sorely missed.

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